Irish culture & traditionIrish culture and tradition can be seen at Bunratty Castle County Clare. This is the real deal, not some twee themepark, mocked up as 'little ole Ireland' that accurately portrays life in rural Ireland from ordinary folk going about their business to landed gentry with country estates and walled gardens. If you are lucky you might even spot the 'poitin' maker distilling his secret brew down by the lake. You can step back even further in time at nearby Cragganowen which is another faithful reconstruction of early celtic life with lake dwellings, ringforts, dolmens and standing stones etched with Ogham inscriptions. Iron age tools are used to tend crops, there is even a herd of 'wild boar' and other rare breeds of sheep, goats and wildfowl.
For many people Guinness is synonomous with Ireland. The Guinness Storehouse in Dublin proudly portrays 250 years of reverence and affection for our national drink, which goes hand in hand with that other great Irish obsession GAA. Short for gaelic football, hurling and camogie. National championships are bitterly fought out at Croke Park and keenly followed at county level. The new Michael Cusack centre in Clare details it's colourful history. You wont get closer to Irish culture and tradition then on Irelands Islands where you Irish is still spoken and you will find hidden gems like the small fishermens shed on Inishbofin, stuffed to the gills with memorabilia about the island telling it like it was for free, complete with a hand drawn map/guide to the island by local children......pure magic. Or the living link with the past that is the West Clare Railway Irelands only railway museum with the restored steam engine Sliabh Callan running daily throughout the summer. The 10 best cultural attractions in Ireland are.....
1 Bunratty Castle & Folk Park, County Clare
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